Auto glove compartment rack



Oct. 16, 1962 M. JONES 3,058,595

AUTO GLOVE COMPARTMENT RACK Filed 061;. 14, 1960 INVENTOR I 1 v I I ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,058,595 AUTO GLOVE COMPARTMENT RACK Morris L. Jones, Harrisburg, Nebr. Filed Oct. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 62,719 6 Claims. (Cl. 211-51) This invention relates to a rack designed primarily for use in the glove compartments of motor vehicles.

An important object of the invention is to provide a rack of this character which may be readily adjusted to closely fit against the walls of the conventional glove compartment, and held in position by frictional contact with the walls of the compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rack for positioning in a glove compartment of a vehicle and designed for holding road maps, documents, papers or the like in a position above the other articles such as tools, usually placed in the glove compartments of motor vehicles, thereby conserving space and at the same time eliminating the possibility of the road maps or articles supported by the rack becoming damaged by contact with such tools or other articles.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a rack constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a sectionaal view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the rack embodies end sections 5 and 6 respectively, the section 5 embodying a vertical tubular member 7, and an upper tubular member 8 extending laterally from the upper end thereof, and a laterally extended tubular member 9 formed integral therewith and disposed intermediate the ends thereof, as better shown by FIG. 3 of the drawing.

The end section 6 also embodies a vertical tubular member 10 to the upper end of which is secured a laterally extended rod 11 that is designed to fit within the upper tubular member 8 for sliding lateral adjustment of the sections with respect to each other.

Extending laterally from the vertical tubular member 10, at a point substantially intermediate the ends thereof, is a rod 12. Thus it will be seen that due to this construction, the rod 11 telescopes in the upper tubular member 8, while the rod 12 telescopes in the laterally extended tubular member 9 for lateral adjustment of the end sections to properly fit within the end walls of a glove compartment for frictional contact therewith.

Each end section of the frame of the rack also includes a lower tubular member 13 having a horizontal threaded rod 14 threaded to the outer end thereof, the rods 14 having vertical threaded rear ends 15 that move into the vertical tubular rod associated therewith, the threaded rods 15 being provided with nuts 16 which contact the lower ends of the vertical tubular members 3,958,595 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 7 or 10 to adjust the height of the frame for positioning in a glove compartment of a particular height.

As better shown by FIG. 2 of the drawing, the lower tubular members 13 receive the ends of the rod 17 which has its ends oppositely threaded to accommodate the nuts 18 that bear against the inner ends of the lower tubular members 13 to move the lower tubular members laterally adjusting the rack for width.

The reference character 19' indicates a spring clip embodying a length of heavy wire material bent upon itself providing a wide body portion including spaced legs 20 connected at their outer ends by means of the horizontal section 21, the leg members 20 being looped around the upper tubular member 8, as better shown by FIG. 3 of the drawing, the leg members having 01fset portions 22 adjacent to the inner ends of the leg members 20, for reception of a flashlight, such as indicated by the reference character A, or a similar device such as a pencil or the like to be supported in the offset portions of the leg members.

The horizontal section 21 is formed with an offset portion 25 providing a finger hold for effecting ready operation of said spring clip to move the same to permit the positioning of articles thereunder.

A coiled spring indicated by the reference character 23 is coiled around the upper tubular member 8 and has its ends 24 resting against the laterally extended tubular member 9, as shown by FIG. 2 of the drawing, thereby tensioning the spring and normally biasing the spring clip upwardly to clamp articles against the top wall of the glove compartment.

As shown by FIG. 3 of the drawing, the leg members 20 extend downwardly from the pivot points thereof, to the end that the main or body portion of the clip is extended forwardly at an oblique angle so that road maps, documents or other papers positioned on the rack will be biased towards the upper wall of the glove compartment and clamped between the clip and the upper Wall.

It will therefore be seen that due to the construction of the rack, the rack may be adjusted laterally and vertically so that it will grip the walls of the glove compartment and hold the rack in position by frictional contact with the walls of the compartment, thereby providing a rack which may be readily and easily applied in any glove compartment of conventional structure eliminating the necessity of using screws, bolts or other tools in positioning the rack.

It might be further stated that while What I have shown and described is a glove compartment rack constructed for horizontal and vertical adjustment for fitting in the glove compartment of various sizes, the horizontal adjustment may be eliminated in the manufacture of the rack for a compartment of a predetermined size, using only the vertical adjustment for securing the rack in position, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture to a minimum.

Having thus described the invention:

Whatis claimed is:

1. An adjustable rack for use in a compartment having top, bottom and end wals comprising a pair of horizontally movable lower tubular members having a pair of parallel horizontally spaced L-shaped rods fixed thereto, said rods including parallel vertically extending threaded portions, first and second tubular sections in telescoping engagement with the threaded portions of said rods, nuts on said threaded portions of said rods in engagement with said first and second tubular sections to move the same vertically, said first tubular section including a pair of vertically aligned tubular members, said second tubular section including a pair of vertically aligned rods in telescoping engagement with said pair of vertically aligned tubular members, a spring biased clamp pivotally secured to one of said pair of vertically aligned tubular members to releasably retain articles against the top wall of the compartment.

2. \An adjustable rack for use in a compartment having top, bottom, and end walls comprising a pair of spaced axially aligned horizontally disposed L-shaped tubular members, a threaded rod extending into each of said axially aligned tubular members, nuts on said threaded rod engaging said tubular members to move the same horizontally, a pair of L-shaped rods fixed in said tubular members and having parallel horizontally spaced and disposed portions, and parallel vertically spaced and disposed portions, said vertically disposed portions having threads thereon, first and second tubular sections in telescoping engagement with said vertically disposed threaded portions of said pair of L-shaped rods, nuts on said threaded portions of said L-shaped rods engaging said tubular sections to move the same vertically, the first of said tubular sections including upper and lower vertically aligned horizontally extending tubular members disposed at right angles thereto, the second of said tubular sections including upper and lower vertically aligned horizontally extending rods disposed at right angles thereto, the tubular members on said first tubular section and the rods on said second tubular section being axially aligned and in telescoping engagement with each other, a spring biased clamped pivotally mounted on the upper of said pair of horizon-tally extending tubular members and adapted to releasably retain articles against the top wall of the compartment.

3. An adjustable rack for use in a compartment having parallel walls comprised by a first section including a right angle tubular member having one leg adjustable lengthwise for insertion between two of the parallel walls and the other leg for placement along one of said parallel walls, and a second right angle section also having one leg adjustable lengthwise for insertion between the said two of the parallel walls and the other leg formed as a rod for placement along the first of said parallel walls and partially received in the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section, a spring clip comprised by side rods united at their outer ends by a transverse rod and having loops at their inner ends surrounding the tubular member of the first section, an abutment on one of said sections of the rack, and a coil spring comprised by dual aligned sections surrounding the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section with the coil sections at their outer ends having right angle projections respectively engaging the side rods of the spring clip and united at their inner ends in an outwardly extending loop in engagement with said abutment.

4. An adjustable rack for use in a compartment having parallel walls comprised by a first section including a right angle tubular member having one leg for placement along one of said parallel walls, a threaded rod for placement at one end against the other of said parallel walls and received at the other end in the second leg of said right angle tubular member, and a nut on said threaded rod for abutment with the latter leg of said right angle tubular member, and a second right angle section having one leg formed as a rod for placement along the first of said parallel walls and partially received in the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section and the other leg formed as a tubular member, a threaded rod for placement at one end against the other of said parallel walls and received at the other end in the tubular member forming the latter leg of the second section, and a nut on said latter threaded rod for abutment with the tubular member forming the latter leg, a spring clip comprised by side rods united at their outer ends by a transverse rod and having loops at their inner ends surrounding the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section, an abutment on one of said sections of the rack, and a coil spring comprised by dual aligned sections surrounding the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section with the coil sections at their outer ends having right angle projections respectively engaging the side rods of the spring clip and united at their inner ends in an outwardly extending loop in engagement with said abutment.

5. An adjustable rack for use in a compartment having parallel side walls comprised by a first section including a right angle tubular member having one leg for placement along one of said parallel side walls and the other leg for placement between said parallel side walls, and a tubular member at right angles to the latter leg, a threaded rod for placement at one end against the other of said parallel side walls and received at the other end in the second leg of said right angle tubular member, and a nut on said threaded rod for abutment with the latter leg of said right angle tubular member, and a second right angle section having one leg formed as a rod for placement along the first of said parallel walls and partially received in the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section and the other leg formed as a tubular member, and a rod at right angles to the latter leg partially received in the latter tubular member on the first section, a threaded rod for placement at one end against the other of said parallel walls and received at the other end in the tubular member forming the latter leg of the first section, and a nut on said latter threaded rod for abutment with the tubular member forming the latter leg, a spring clip comprised by side rods united at their outer ends by a transverse rod and having loops at their inner ends surrounding the tubular member forming the first leg of the first section, and a coil spring comprised by dual aligned sections surrounding the latter tubular member with the coil sections at their outer ends having right angle projections respectively engaging the side rods of the spring clip and united at their inner ends in an outwardly extending loop in engagement with the latter tubular member of the first section.

6. -An adjustable rack for use in a compartment having parallel side walls and parallel end walls comprised by a first right angle section including a first tubular member for placement along one of said parallel side walls, a second tubular member united to the first tubular member and at right angles thereto for placement along one of said end walls, and a third tubular member united to the second tubular member in parallel relationship to the first tubular member, a screw threaded rod for placement along the latter end wall and received at one end in the second tubular member, a nut on said screw threaded rod for engagement with the latter tubular member, and a fourth tubular member united to the screw threaded rod for placement along the second of said side walls, and a second right angle section including a first rod for placement along the first of said side walls, a first tubular member united to said first rod and at right angles thereto for placement along the other of said end walls, a second rod united to said first tubular member and at right angles thereto and partially received in the third tubular member of the first section, a screw threaded rod for placement along the latter end wall and received at one end in the first tubular member, a nut on said screw threaded rod for engagement with the latter tubular member, and a fourth tubular member united to the screw threaded rod for placement along the second of said side walls, and a screw threaded rod for placement along the second of said side walls and received at its opposite ends in the fourth tubular member of the first section and the second tubular member of the second section and nuts on said latter screw threaded rod for engagement with said latter tubular members, a spring clip comprised by side rods united at their outer ends by a transverse rod and at their other ends having loops surrounding the first tubular member of the first section, and a coil spring comprised by dual aligned sections surrounding the latter tubular member with the coil sections at their outer ends having right angle projections respectively engaging the side rods of the spring clip and united at their inner ends in an out- References Cited in the file of this patent wardly extending loop in engagement with the third tubu- 10 2,885,090

lar member of the first section.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Murray Jan. 17, 1933 Shullaw Apr. 9, 194 0 Beasley Feb. 23, 1943 R-andtke Ian. 16, 1951 Brodkey Jan. '1, 1952 Le Noir Oct. 27, 1953 Forman May 5, 1959 

